However, as these kudos only consider screenplays written under the guild’s guidelines or those of several international partners, several leading Oscar contenders were ineligible for consideration including the adaptation of “The Theory of Everything” and the original scripts for “Birdman,” “Selma” and “Mr. Turner.”

While 323 films are in the running for Best Picture at the Oscars, only 60 of these had original scripts that coud vie for WGA recognition while just 48 had adapted screenplays that could contend. Compare those figures to last year when 54 original scripts and 41 adaptations were eligible.

As such, these kudos are not the most reliable barometer of the eventual Oscar nominees, Indeed, in the past five years only 30 of the WGA nominees have numbered among the 50 screenplays that reaped Oscar bids.

These stringent WGA rules also played out in the Documentary category where three of the five nominees number among the 15 features still in the running at the Oscars: “Finding Vivian Maier,” “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz” and Last Days in Vietnam.” The fourth WGA nominee is “Red Army.”

“The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz”
Written by Brian Knappenberger

“Last Days in Vietnam”
Written by Mark Bailey & Kevin McAlester

“Red Army”
Written by Gabe Polsky

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